How to Survive a Sweet Tooth

Jun 1, 2018

How to Survive a Sweet Tooth

Small, frequent meals. This way you never feel hungry and also keep blood sugar in good control.

Pair fruit with protein. By doing this you get the sweet taste coupled with sustained fullness and satisfaction from the protein. My favorite is peanut butter with apple. Other ideas are oranges with cottage cheese or almonds with grapes.

Satisfy your sweet tooth naturally. The artificial stuff has 2 problems: a) it is thought that some types might destroy goo gut bacteria, and 2) it sends fake signals to the brain that glucose is on its way (via the dopamine pathway), therefore increasing cravings for real sugar. Instead…have a piece of fruit or a small amount of dark chocolate.

Eat more nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, and salmon whenever you can. These foods are heart healthy and help with blood sugar control. Healthy fats will displace excess sugar from the diet, keeping the body satisfied for longer, potentially preventing a sugar attack.

Steer clear of processed junk foods. According to the New York Times Magazine article, The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food, “there's no denying that junk food cravings are powerful, physiological reactions—and, apparently, carefully and strategically developed by food manufacturers. Many of our favorite supermarket snacks are made with the “perfect” amounts of added sugar, salt, fat, and other chemicals designed to make us want more. But you can steer clear of processed food by eating as many healthy, whole foods as possible, and the less junk food you eat, the less you want”.

Eat plenty of greens: they are nutrient-rich and can increase energy levels and reduce sugar cravings.